Taiwo Awoniyi reveals Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah’s impact on his Liverpool exit

Nigeria international Taiwo Awoniyi has finally explained the real reasons behind his Liverpool ahead of a league visit to Anfield with his Nottingham Forest.

The Super Eagles star had six-year spell with Liverpool but he was unable to break into the team while being sent on loan within Europe.

The 26-year-old joined Liverpool as a hot prospect after starring for Nigeria at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Despite his desire to succeed at Liverpool, Awoniyi quickly realized that getting sufficient game time to grow would not be possible with the Reds, leading to his exit after spending six years at the club without ever making his debut.

His second visit since moving back to the league with Nottingham Forest, the Nigerian revealed what it felt like to train with the star-studded Liverpool side that had Senegalese Sadio Mane and Egyptian Mohammed Salah.

“I remember telling my family that for sure Liverpool was going to win the league, and that year they went on to almost win everything,” Awoniyi told Liverpool.com.

“The training sessions, wow! I knew that this is the kind of training that you win something from! You don’t train like that, and then at the end of the season, you get nothing.

“For me as a player, that was the kind of environment I had always wanted. But in life, sometimes you have to make tough decisions, and I knew for me that I needed to go and play every week.

“You look at the time, there was [Mohamed] Salah, [Sadio] Mane, [Roberto] Firmino, and others. I knew the chances [to play] were very, very slim. I knew I needed to get to a place where I was playing every week. It was hard [to leave], but it was a decision I had to make.”